It's a lovely sunny morning in December. Amazingly-there's no snow and the
temperatures are mild; in fact, the deer are still wandering through my
garden, eating whatever's left this late in the season.
And I'm finally sitting down to let everyone know about my book news.
Better late than never in terms of the mass market edition of HOT
PROPERTY with a pub date of December 2. The story is set in Ely, MN, my
childhood home, and now a tourist destination for those who like the
wilderness experience as they say. HOT PROPERTY offers hot sex and serious
weaponry, a hero who's haunted by his past in the CIA and a heroine in
need of protection from a billionaire bully who's trying to curtail her
expose on the illicit trade in antiques. Oh, and the new CIA chief wants
Nick dead; he knows too much about several murders in Kosovo.
In
January I have a new historical titled, SEXY AS HELL, with a hero who
fully engaged my attention from start to finish. Occasionally a hero comes
along who's entirely captivating from the get go-voila--Osmond, Baron
Lennox. He's enormously rich, handsome as sin and if not entirely joyless,
he's struggling to come to terms with the death of his parents and the
woman he loved. Cynical, disillusioned, he sets about making life bearable
in the time honored way of wealthy young men-with wine, women and high
stakes gambling. Isolde Perceval, Countess of Wraxell in her own right, is
gambling with other stakes-in her case, her reputation. The two meet in
bed by accident--Oz enters the wrong room. After a glimpse of the lush
woman lying beneath him, he decides the lady waiting for him in another
room can wait. And the story begins.
In March, a mass market edition of FORCE OF NATURE will be published. The
heroine is Hazard Black's daughter from an early liaison prior to his
marriage to Blaze. Jo Attenborough has been raised in Florence and arrives
in Helena under protest. After learning of Hazard's wealth, Lucy, his
former lover, is intent on securing her share of his fortune-ostensibly
for her daughter. In reality for herself. Jo is thoroughly embarrassed to
be soliciting funds from a man she's never seen; an engineer by
profession, she prefers making her own way in the world. The hero, Flynn
Ito, son of an Irish mother and samurai father, has the heart of a
warrior-a quality that holds him in good stead in Montana's range land
where one's property is maintained by force of arms. When Jo and Flynn
meet at a social affair, sparks fly. Ignoring the civilities and the
shocked glances in their wake, they leave after dinner and spend the next
few days in bed. It's about pleasure, they both agree, not love--as if
feelings can be ignored. As if reason is of any consequence when it comes
to love. When Jo is captured by Flynn's enemies, he and Hazard marshal
their forces to rescue her. But the circumstances of her captivity pose
difficulties for a man like Flynn. Bitterly offended she returns to
Florence. A happy ending is uncertain.
In June, an anthology titled, UNDONE, will be published. My story begins
with a wager contrived one night by a party of drunken young lords. The
turn of the cards is won by the dissolute Earl of Albion, twenty thousand
guineas is at stake and he has twenty-four hours to bring back evidence
that Lady Felicity Belvoir is no longer a virgin. Since no confidence is
long suppressed in the ton, the lady in question learns of the wager the
next morning and begins making plans of her own. Albion is surprised and
alarmed to find her waiting for him in her bedroom when he arrives, her
luggage at her feet, her traveling cloak at hand. She offers him abargain-her
virginity for an escort to Edinburgh. She w ishes to flee her home, her
new stepmother in particular who has plans to marry her off to a loathsome
old man. "I have no wish to marry anyone!" she emphatically declares.
After a brief hesitation-females in full pursuit a given in his
life-Albion decides that she's sincere. "In that case, we have a bargain,"
he says and picks up her luggage. "I'll take you to Edinburgh after race
week."
"Now."
"After. My horses are going to win every race."
A horse-mad young lady, she says, "After. If you take me to the races."
"No."
"Very well." She sits down.
He scowls. Twenty thousand is at stake. "If you stay out of sight in my
viewing stand."
She smiles her assent. "Whatever you say."
And the wager is on.
At the moment I'm busy working on the third book in the Bruton Street
Bookstore series. The hero, Jamie Blackwood, is bodyguard to Prince Ernst
of Dalmia. The heroine, Sofia Eastleigh, is reluctantly drawn into the
story when Prince Ernst seeks her out and informs her that she's his
daughter. With his son and heir murdered, the prince requires an heir to
retain his properties; he approaches Sofia with the assumption that she'll
be pleased to discover that she's a princess.
Au contraire.
Unfortunately, the man who murdered Prince Ernst's son, is intent on
eliminating Ernst and Sofia. Von Welden wants the duchy of Dalmia for
himself. He happens to control the Austrian secret police so his army of
killers is large.
It's Jamie Blackwood's job to see that Ernst and Sofia remain safe until
he and his men can kill Von Welden. They travel to Jamie's Highland
estate, both the journey and their days in Scotland putting Sofia and
Jamie in constant and close proximity. Aside from the danger or perhaps
because of it, Sofia finds Jamie tempting, tantalizing and potent target
of her lust. She pursues him, he politely declines, telling her that he
never mixes business with pleasure. Not a reasonable excuse, Sofia
decides, and the dance of seduction begins. Will he or won't he? Is it
even a possibility with scores of villains on their trail? Amidst mayhem
and murder all is uncertain. I'm not entirely sure exactly when Jamie will
succumb. Although there's no doubt in my mind that he will.
Happy reading